Should parents smoke around children?

In my view it's massive child abuse. The children are forced to breathe tobacco smoke against their will. Of course the damage is out of this world. Note, I mainly see this as a cultural problem, as some people still live in the 1980s. They really think the smoke isn't hurting their children, even the small ones and babies.

 

What drives me nuts are the clowns that smoke in cars with kids in the back. Absolute reckless disregard for the safety and health of the children. It makes me sick.

 

I think it's obvious that people shouldn't smoke around children, just as they shouldn't smoke around people that don't.

As for smoking in cars, here in the UK a law was brought in not long ago to class smoking in a car with a minor a punishable offence, maybe it's time for other countries to do the same?

 

I especially hate it when smokers try to cover up their lazy behavior by being obsessed being clean, or forcing kids to eat healthy. Ok, so your kid doesn't drink any sugar or caffine. That's awesome, but what about breathing your Marlboros around the clock? Oh, that's great you and your kids keep the table free of trash, but what about air?

They don't care. They really don't.

I don't want to sound like judgemental PC police, and I'm aware adults can move away from smokers if it bothers them, but kids have no choice.

 

I am strongly against smoking around children. It puts children in the immediate vicinity of a known toxin and teaches them that this is OK.

That being said, let's say you want to ban this kind of thing. How would you?

 

Well if we're doing the full disclosure thing, I AM a smoker, but I respect other people's wishes. The only place I smoke is in my garden at home or a designated smoking area that's away from others.

People can do what they want, and when it comes to smoking that should also be the case, but a lot of it is just respect. I don't smoke around people, but at the same time I don't want somebody trying to tell me what I can and can't do in my own life.

 

Right, but a lot of smokers are arrogant and view their children as their property. They think people telling them they can't smoke around their children is nosy. How can one deal with such smokers? Yes, I think people should be free to smoke, just as long as whoever is that is breathing the smoke agrees to it. However, children are minors, so that makes it a different matter.

 

I smoke but I have a rule that I impose on myself. I smoke outside our house and not smoke inside, not in any parts of the house, even our own room. I do not smoke around my children. I know the effects of second hand smoke. My husband stopped smoking. I want to but have not gotten round to a full stop. Even my sons told me cold turkey will not work with me. I tried it but I ended up in a hospital bed. The doctor advised me not to go cold turkey but start cutting on the quantity of sticks gradually. I am glad none of my children acquired the habit.

I think if one is in the habit of smoking, he should do it responsibly, too.

 

I think it's common sense not to smoke around children, but it happens and you can't force someone not to in their own home. They should be educated on the harm, but I know many that do it regardless. It's not only the smoke, but the influence as many parents who smoke in front of their children lead to them smoking too.

 

It's nice to see some smokers are considerate of children. However, it is not the case in my family, as one person even hinted that the forbidding of smoking around children was some kind of geek political correctness. I don't understand these people who seem live in the 1980s or earlier. Apparently it's a massive cultural problem as they really just don't care.

I think a lot of it is tied in with this really macho culture you see in in various places around the world. Nonetheless, you can be an auto mechanic etc.. and still avoid smoking around chidren.

 

Parents should not smoke around children. I see it happening far to often, usually in enclosed spaces like cars. I generally land on the side of less government interference, but when it comes to children or being harmful to others the government should interfere.